Video watch: Elvis, the wasted years

Putting the column of new DVD releases together this week was sort of sad, mainly because the list was dominated by reissues of the mediocre to awful movies Elvis Presley made in the ’60s.

Since the 30th anniversary of The King’s death is coming up next Thursday (Aug. 16), naturally there’s a flood of new product. To no one’s surprise, almost every film he made was reissued in a widescreen, restored version this week. Plus, there’s “Elvis: The Hollywood Collection,” a six-pack of flicks which film critics generally regard as among his worst.

Just typing in some of the dates was the saddest part. In 1964 and 1965, while the Beatles were changing rock ‘n’ roll, the second wave of the British Invasion was hitting our shores and a generation of American kids were furiously growing their hair out and trying to imitate them, the King of Rock ‘n’ Roll was out in Hollywood making “Kissin’ Cousins,” “Girl Happy,” “Tickle Me,” “Harum Scarum,” “Viva Las Vegas” and “Roustabout.” Six movies in two years, ranging from average to terrible, according to the original “Book of Rock Lists.” And the first three are in the “Hollywood Collection” set, along with “Live a Little, Love a Little,” “Stay Away, Joe” (both 1968) and “Charro!” (1969; more on it below).

The critical consensus was that the plots were hackneyed or recycled (i.e., 1961’s “Blue Hawaii” begat “Paradise, Hawaiian Style” five years later), and that, worst of all, the songs were subpar. And in “Charro!,” a Western given a bomb rating in “Leonard Maltin’s Movie Guide,” he only sang one song.

No wonder he felt like he needed a comeback as the ’60s came to a close.

The good news is, there’s also a new version of “Jailhouse Rock,” generally ranked alongside “King Creole” (1958; and not reissued) as one of his best. And folks who want to remember Elvis in his post-comeback glory — i.e., actually being Elvis, not acting — there’s a new version of the documentary, “Elvis: That’s the Way It Is.”